Our profiles* of local traders reveal the most common rewards and worries of going self-employed.
2 Roger – Gas Engineer
Roger was originally an apprentice with British Gas but eventually decided to go self-employed. Like most of his colleagues, he felt the company wasn’t paying well at the time. He now enjoys feeling his time is his own and he can work as much as he needs to.
Marketing, winning customers and keeping them are the skills Roger says he’s learned. And his warning to others is: “If you’re no good at paperwork, get help ASAP”. There’s a lot of competition in his area with new traders coming in, so he’s had to keep improving to be more competitive himself. He points to essential costs such as keeping practice certificates up to date. What do you need to succeed? “Be good at your job. Be good with people. Learn to sell.”
Roger points out that going on your own does mean what it says. He’s tried belonging to a support group but wasn’t very impressed and thinks lack of leadership was the problem. He has a large mortgage and “If I couldn’t work I’m not sure what I would do. It’s always in the back of my mind.”
Reigate & Banstead Business Guide 2016 Help available locally
Self-employment: checklist Comprehensive coverage
* Interviews May 2017